How to install thinkpad acpi in Ubuntu?

[tonn]

Hello!
I have a problem to install this driver in my Ubuntu 8.10 64bit. Because its not a .deb fail, i dont know hove to install it. I am pretty much stranger in linux too.

[Marin85]

Either I´m missing something or your link is not correct. Anyway, I believe IBM/ThinkPad acpi driver is included in the latest kernels, so no need to install it on Ubuntu 8.10.

Marin

[tonn]

Hmm maybe yes! But in linux theres not such power manager like in windows? Is my battery tresholds working in linux too?

[Marin85]

True, as of now you won´t find in Linux one program that has the advanced functionality of Lenovo Power Manager for Windows, yet there are other tools/techniques to do that. Also, a Linux program similar to Lenovo PM is KPowersave.

Marin

[GomJabbar]

I don't use Ubuntu, but in Linux (certainly Mandriva) there is ibm-acpi and thinkpad-acpi for getting control of the ThinkPad hotkeys.

http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Ibm-acpi

[Superego]

The thinkpad-acpi driver is included in kernels 2.6.22 and later so you won't need to install anything (the link you posted is if you need to patch your kernel source code). Forgive me for not speaking in specifics, I'm typing in Windows right now so I can't double-check my instructions; to enable the driver you need to get the module loaded at boot. The simplest way is to edit your /etc/modules (or possibly /etc/modules.conf ...I forget which one Ubunut uses). You would just need to add a single with the name of the module; that should just be thinkpad-acpi but double-check that.

I have my battery threshold settings working in Linux. To do this first you need to install the tp_smapi driver. Search thinkwiki.org for the download and further instructions (or check the Ubuntu forums...there's probably a package available through synaptics). After I got tp_smapi set up I added the following two lines to my /etc/rc.local script:

Code: Select all

echo 30 > /sys/devices/platform/smapi/BAT0/start_charge_thresh 
echo 85 > /sys/devices/platform/smapi/BAT0/stop_charge_thresh 

Thinkwiki has a full list of all the battery options with tp_smapi if you want to check them out.

[tonn]

I think i have control with thinkpad hotkeys in linux, they are working, but not everyone. I installed tsmapi trough the synaptics but nothing hapend, where i find that thing or this not an application?

Edit: Another question about the graphic cards. I know linux dont support switchable graphics, but i can enter to the linux system only with dedicated graphic card, and seems to me, thats run max power, because the vent always throtteling. I want to enter with intergrated graphics too, but i cant, system crash in the boot. And i have to turn off the OS decetiton for graphic cards also, because ubuntu dont start then. So my vista has no swtichable graphics option also. Can i do something like this: Vista has a swtichable graphic option and ubuntu has a intergrated graphic card on boot?

[Superego]

I think i have control with thinkpad hotkeys in linux, they are working, but not everyone.

Please elaborate. Some things will probably not work right out of the box and will require some configuration. For example, you can probably change volume and brightness, but the Thinkvantage key and most or all of the Fn keys don't work....am I correct? We'll figure out how to configure these after you tell us what is and isn't working and specifically what functions you'd like to have. Also, do you have the thinkpad-acpi module loaded?

Tp_smapi is simply a driver, not a full-blown application. To configure it you'll need to edit the files under /sys/devices/platform/smapi. There are some GUIs available at thinkwiki.org, but they mainly just provide information from tp_smapi (e.g., battery information)...they're located at the bottom of the tp_smapi page. What model thinkpad are you using? It makes a difference with the tp_smapi module since some of the older thinkpads don't support some of the tp_smapi features. As a final suggestion I would tell you to really go over the tp_smapi and thinkpad-acpi pages at thinkwiki.org. Also, the Ubuntu forums may have more Ubuntu-specific details.

Regarding switchable graphics card I think the short, unhelpful answer is to change the setting in BIOS. Windows can change the card on the fly but I'm pretty sure Xorg currently does not support switchable graphics.

[tonn]

Ok, i know xorg dont support switchable graphic, but i cant understand why ubuntu dont start with intel 4500HD, my battery decrease quite fast, if i have dedicated graphics. It just crash, blank screen and thats it.

Edit: I find my problem a solution. I connect laptop to the extrenal display and installed a correct intel driver and now that work!